3 things for the #SJSharks to think about as they rebuild.

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1. The NHL collective bargaining agreement. What will the new salary cap policy look like?

2. The new NHL style. Skilled puck-possession teams such as Detroit, Vancouver and the Sharks were eliminated by opponents that prefer stifling, systemic defensive play that is gritty and smothering. "For me, the grind style of the game exists more than it did in the past," said Coach McLellan

3. Changes in NHL officiating standards. Number of power plays in the NHL has been steadily decreasing since 2005 as more borderline stuff gets permitted. The Sharks' till-now aggressive style gets them more penalties, and their penalty-kill (29th in the league) has been killing them.

The bottom line? Almost anyone can be traded or fired:

No Sharks players may be untouchable except for Joe Thornton and Couture. You still need top-line skill at center, no matter how the game is played.

There's 9 new players on the roster since last year. Several of them are quite good, but as a team, this is the earliest in franchise history that we've ever been elimnated from the playoffs.